Because Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been successful for a few years now, it's easy to forget he spent the first couple years of his career deep in the NBA's cellar, playing for losing teams that picked in the lottery every season.

Such is the phenomenon of tanking, folks.

Kevin Durant was the No. 2 pick of the NBA draft in 2007. He went to a tanking Sonics team. (AP Photo)

And Durant endured two 20-win seasons before he was gifted the full supporting cast of Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. This experience gives Durant free rein to speak on the topic, and he used that ability to give advice to the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that stripped their roster in recent years and committed to tanking for years to come.

Durant was drafted second overall to a team with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, both NBA All Stars at the time, and he expected to fit in as a member of one of the NBA's best combinations.

The Sonics had different idea, though. They traded Allen and Lewis away before the season ever started, a move similar to the 76ers' draft-day deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the New Orlenas Pelicans in exchange for Nerlens Noel. The Sonics players were more highly regarded, but the general approach is no different.

Durant told The Philadelphia Inquirer what it felt like to be in the midst of an obvious effort to tank.

“It was tough for me especially coming in as a young player,” Durant told the Inquirer. “I thought I was going to play with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis when they were all-star every year.”

Things worked out quite differently, as Durant played through a 20-64 season his first year and came back the next season as a member of the relocated Thunder to go 23-59.

“Every game it was tough knowing that it was going to be hard for us to win,” Durant said. “But what we did was come in and work hard every day, and know that it was going to be a process and maybe a tough year.”

He drew on his own experience to deliver a message to the 76ers, one of the NBA's youngest teams.

“You just have to keep pushing through it,” said Durant, offering simple but proper advice.